


then come home

by flosus



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, M/M, Nonbinary Orochimaru, catch yall later when im cranking out more shitty naruto fanfic, kakashi is tired of sasuke, naruto be talking out his ass, naruto loves sasuke hes trying too, platonic sakura/naruto, sakura loves naruto, sasuke internalizes too much, sasuke loves naruto hes trying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-30
Updated: 2019-01-30
Packaged: 2019-10-19 11:15:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17600285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flosus/pseuds/flosus
Summary: ”So, what happened?””Naruto kicked me out again,” Sasuke murmured into his clenched fist.”Hm,” Kakashi hummed, pouring two small cups of sake. He waited for the other to continue, but there was only buzzing silence. “Why’s that?”Sasuke didn‘t say anything for a moment but then blurted, “He said he thinks we should separate.”or basically: kakashi needs to help his son (sasuke) make decisions cause emotions???? sasuke loves naruto but is terrible at communication, uhhh sakura loves naruto a lot (platonically), shes also a mf lesbian, we all need nb orochimaru in our lives, ichiraku's ramen will follow naruto wherever he goes, sakura is a mf lesbian, sasuke needs to stop internalizing sm, and naruto need to stop talking out of e m o t i o n s, uh loss of job?





	then come home

**Author's Note:**

> warning: ngl theres probably some tense and grammar issues and this is kinda self-indulgent. (ive always seen sakura and naruto as close friends and wanted to include that in this. idk why i have a tendency of making sasuke fuck up, but i do--i still love him tho, it isnt his fault) also this isnt anything too serious, it was p fun to write n like...the plot might seem all over the place but it was fun !
> 
> ty for reading
> 
> i also shouldnt be writing naruto fanfic in this day n age but it is what it is
> 
> also the ending got kinda rushed cause i got l a z y

Disinterested eyes bored into Sasuke’s as the door opened. “Coffee?”  
  
”Vodka,” Sasuke muttered as he pushed through the doorway, brooding.  
  
”Ooh, damn,” came the reply. The door closed, and Kakashi headed towards the kitchen where Sasuke had already made himself welcome. “How bad?”  
  
”I exploded and said some things I shouldn’t have,” Sasuke said calmly, but Kakashi noted the way he was already fumbling in the cupboard for the small liquor stash he knew Kakashi had. “Where’s the vodka?”  
  
”Uh, drank all of it. There’s sake, though. But,” Kakashi motioned for Sasuke to sit behind the island, “sit.”  
  
Sasuke sat, though reluctantly. Kakashi noted the strange restlessness the younger man had suddenly harbored. From the side Sasuke sat on, he watched his legs bounce against the stool, hands almost painfully clenched.  
  
”So, what happened?”  
  
”Naruto kicked me out again,” Sasuke murmured into his clenched fist.  
  
”Hm,” Kakashi hummed, pouring two small cups of sake. He waited for the other to continue, but there was only buzzing silence. “Why’s that?”  
  
Sasuke didn‘t say anything for a moment but then blurted, “He said he thinks we should separate.”  
  
Kakashi’s exposed eye widened a fraction as he gave Sasuke his drink. It widened a bit more, unblinking, as Sasuke emptied his cup within a few seconds, pushing it towards Kakashi, before resuming his former position. An even voice sounded, “Sasuke, he might have been talking out of anger. Or more specifically, pain.”  
  
”We agreed that our relationship was something we didn’t threaten the other with.”  
  
”So, you think he was serious?”  
  
”Why do you think I’m here? I-“  
  
”Sasuke, whatever you said, you obviously hurt him. Go to him and apologize.” Kakashi said seriously. “Naruto says a lot of reckless things, but I don’t think he would say that lightly. He’s hurt, and you can’t run away every time you two have an issue.”  
  
”Then...what do I do? What do I say?” Sasuke asked, almost pleading, but his voice was still muffled by his hands. Kakashi watched him, a noticeable tension around his shoulders. Kakashi deduced that he was trying to hold something in.  
  
”You’ll know when you get there. So go,” Kakashi prompted. “If things get real bad, you know you can crash here.”  
  
”Kakashi, what do I do?” The distraught man asked, bringing his arms around himself and revealing a pinched expression with glossed-over eyes. “I can’t lose Naruto.”  
  
The masked man couldn’t deny the tug he felt in his heart at the sight, but his firmness remained. “So you go to him. It’s been too long to lose it all now.”  
  
”And what do I say?”  
  
”Sasuke,” Kakashi warned, a sense of impatience betraying his normal aloofness, “I can’t tell you what to say.”  
  
Sasuke didn’t say anything for a moment, looking down at his knees in deep thought. “I told him that he fucks over every good thing that comes to him, and he kicked me out, claiming he was tired of being treated as my inferior. But I-I was angry, and I didn’t mean it.”  
  
”Still fucked up.”  
  
”I know.”  
  
”The longer you stay here, the bigger the rift gets.”  
  
”You’re right.”  
  
”I am. Go.”  
  
Sasuke stood, eyeing the bottle of sake before grabbing it by its neck and guzzling it down. He set the bottle down with an almost silent clang and sighed out his departure. “I’m leaving. Thank you, Kakashi.”  
  
Kakashi shook his head, smiling under his mask. “You two will be fine. Ah, young love.”  
  
~  
  
"Sakura, I... Thank you for showing up. I know it was sudden and all, but I-"  
  
"Hush, Naruto." Sakura said, her arms full of blankets and various candies. On her hip was her computer bag. "Couch or floor?"  
  
"Mmm, couch. No, floor. I-I don't know."  
  
"Floor, it is. More space." Sakura beelined her way towards the space in front of the small sofa and set down one of the blankets, setting the candies on top of the couch. "You big spoon or little spoon?"  
  
"Little." Naruto replied, helping Sakura create a decent-sized pallet. He recklessly gathered some pillows off the couch, throwing them on their soft construction. He waited for Sakura to sit before he laid across her lap and pulled the covers up to his neck. He didn't bothering trying to contain the pleased sigh that left him. "Feels good."  
  
Sakura carded her fingers through the hair on his nape. "I'm glad. But what was so urgent that I had to ditch my date with Ino?"  
  
Naruto shot up. "What?! Sakura, you didn't--I told you only to come if you could!"  
  
Sakura gave a small laugh, coaxing Naruto back into his former place, but he didn't budge. "Naruto, it's fine. It was a joke."  
  
"Not a very funny one," he grumbled, irritably opening a pack of Starbursts. "Seriously, I was going to carry that guilt to my grave."  
  
"No need, Naru. Our date is  _next_  weekend, anyway."  
  
Naruto shifted on Sakura's lap and waggled his eyebrows, prompting a particularly sharp shove to his shoulder. "Look at you, Sakura! Finally getting that date you always wanted! You weren't fooling anybody with your fake obsession with Sasu--"  
  
"Naruto," Sakura hissed, "this is about  _you_ and not _me._  So, be quiet, eat your Starburst, and tell me what movie to put on."  
  
"Well, I was actually thinking," the blond added quietly, "that we could, um--"  
  
"That we could what?"  
  
"That we could talk about it."  
  
Shock took over Sakura, but she recovered quickly, grabbing the bag of Hershey's kisses and handing it to Naruto. "Okay. Go on ahead, and I'll listen."  
  
"And play in my hair?"  
  
Sakura hummed, hand moving automatically.  
  
"You know how I've been without a job for like a few months, and I haven't been able to find one?" Sakura offered a small 'yeah.' “Well, I've been looking everyday, applying everywhere--even fucking McDonald's, and yeah no  _luck_ \--and like, I've been extremely stressed out. Currently, Sasuke's our only source of income and I  _know_  he's stressed out too. So for the past about three months, it's been pretty tense. Money is really tight, and like I know Sasuke's irritated with me. I guess it finally got to critical mass. He came in earlier, saw dishes in the sink--it was like a switch went off, I shit you not--and he started  _screaming_.  
  
He was like, 'You can't do anything right. An _ything. C_ an you? I ask you to cover dishes, and you can't even do that.' And obviously, I'm not going to sit here and be fucking screamed at. I'm pretty wounded, yeah, but I tell him that I've been trying to look for work all day and that I would get to the dishes later. And that's when he was just like, 'If you were trying, you would have found something by now. Why don't you take a look around you, there's plenty of openings, blah blah,' but Sakura, there's one thing he said that really got to me." Almost involuntarily, he had ended up facing Sakura, hands mid-air in gesture.  
  
"Yeah?" She asked, her hand momentarily stagnant, clearly invested. "What was it?"  
  
"He said, ' _You fuck over every good thing that comes to you_.' I don't know what possessed me, but I told him to get the fuck out, and before he left, I said that we should separate. I closed the door before he could say anything. I know it doesn't make sense... Even as I think about it now, I'm embarrassed--how can I kick him out when he's been covering a majority of the bills for the past few months? How could I say that to him? I promised him that I'd never bait our relationship. I..I guess I was just tired of being treated as the lesser of us two. And..."  
  
"And you wanted his attention, and you definitely got it, but that isn't the way to go about it. Naruto, I really think that the tension forced you guys to lash out at each other. What Sasuke said wasn't cool at all, and I can't really tell you whether he's speaking from a place of truth, but I do know that you two need to sit down and  _talk_  to each other. When's the last time you two have had a serious talk?"  
  
"I don't know, Sakura," Naruto admitted, anxiously shoving Hershey kisses in his mouth. "I really, really hate this spot we're in. I..I can't believe I lost my job in the first place."  
  
"Naruto, we all miss you, but you can't fall into this endless loop of 'I wish.' It happened, Naru," she said softly. "On to the next one."  
  
The blond shuddered as he tried to suppress rising sobs, "But it's not...that easy. Sakura, I'm really trying here... She said--Tsunade said late one more time and I'm done, and guess what I did? I showed up fucking late. If only my old ass car would've done its job for  _once,_ I wouldn't be in this mess. I  _hate_  this--"  
  
The woman sighed before rubbing his back in attempt to soothe him. "You need to unwind. Wanna watch a movie?"  
  
Naruto withered, defeated. The tension evaporated from his limbs as he settled against his best friend. "I guess so."  
  
"Good." Sakura grabbed her laptop bag. "Let's see what's good on Netflix."  
  
~  
  
_What do I say to him?_  Sasuke was reeling with anxiety but most of all he felt consumed by guilt. He had felt, yes, a disproportionate amount of responsibility shift on his shoulders, and while he didn't mind so much during the first month, the second month had hit him, revealing that Naruto's unemployment was going to be  _prolonged_. At that, Sasuke started to feel uncharacteristically irritated. He began to snap at his coworkers, speak even less than usual, and even eat in the living room when he knew that his and Naruto's special time was over dinner.  
  
"This is stupid, I shouldn't be feeling like this. I should want to help him. I should want to help  _us_."  _And I do, but..._  Sasuke put his head on the steering wheel, mustering the self-control not to bang his head into it, thinking that the horn would somehow make Naruto come outside, find him, and force a discussion, which might make him shut down and get defensive again. He didn't  _want_  that. He needed to talk to Naruto when it would work for both of them.  
  
_It's the stress_ , he thought. _I'm just concerned. We've worked so hard for a life together, and I'm afraid I'll lose it--and worst of all, Naruto._  
  
Sasuke shook his head, trying to dispel the thought. That won't happen. Naruto didn't really mean what he said...did he? " _We should separate_." It had sounded final. But Sasuke had gotten a glimpse at Naruto's face before he shut the door. Pain. As much pressure and tension that Sasuke feels, Naruto probably felt that times hundred--he had always felt in extremes. Sasuke put his face in his hands, breathing roughly out his nose. How could he be so inconsiderate?  
  
After spending about half an hour sitting in the parking lot of their apartment complex, Sasuke decided that it was time to go upstairs. Surely, Naruto wouldn't reject him... Right?  
  
~  
  
"When did _you_ get here?"  
  
"Oh--hey, Sasuke! About an hour ago."  
  
"Why are you two lying on the floor?"  
  
"We're watching a movie."  
  
Sakura felt Naruto tense and noted how Sasuke looked only at her when speaking. She sighed. Sasuke didn't say anything, disappearing around the corner. Naruto latched onto the opportunity, invoking Sakura's help in the lowest voice he could muster. "Saki, what do I do?"  
  
"You talk to him, Naruto. Seriously." She shifted, lifting him gently from her lap. "I'm going to go. Call me if you need me."  
  
Naruto stared at her pitifully, and she simply sighed for the hundredth time that evening. "What, Naruto?"  
  
"Don't leave me," he mouthed.  
  
"This is  _your_  relationship. You have to fix it. You guys seriously need to work on communication." She stood up, folding her laptop and putting it in its bag. "You want to keep the candy?"  
  
He nodded, looking miserable, but he gave Sakura a weak smile. "Thank you for staying with me, Saki. I really appreciate it."  
  
Sakura smiled back. "Any time, Naruto. Now if you excuse me...I have a date to prepare for."  
  
"I thought you said it was next weekend!"  
  
"It is, but it's never too early for preparation! See ya later, Sasuke," she called as she approached the door. Naruto walked her out, made sure she got down safely, and locked the door. He returned to his apartment, brimming with a silence that made his head spin. The living room offered some respite as he continued to eat Sour Patches anxiously, but they started to taste like nothing so he stopped. He felt particularly colder without Sakura's hand at the back of his neck and the soothing warmth of covers around him and without...Sasuke pressed against his back and kissing across his shoulders.  _Fuck_ \--  
  
"Naruto..."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You're crying."  
  
"Yeah, I guess I am," Naruto admitted, right hand still clutching the bag of Sour Patches.  
  
Sasuke moved but then stopped. "Can I sit by you?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Naruto felt the dip in the couch next to him. He went rigid. It was automatic. Sasuke noticed and felt like he had been punched in the stomach. "Naruto, I..."  
  
"You what?" He muttered, giving Sasuke the satisfaction of eye contact at least. "You went to Kakashi's and Gai's, right? How are they?"  
  
"Gai wasn't there, Kakashi's fine," the man offered dismissively, "but I want to talk to you."  
  
"Me too."  
  
Sasuke felt sick by Naruto's curtness. Or was it anxiety? "You know, if you don't want to talk to me, you can just say that."  
  
"I know, Sasuke."  
  
Sasuke's brow pinched. "Then--"  
  
"It's not that I don't  _want_  to talk to you, it's that I don't know  _how_."  
  
_Oh. "_ Oh."  
  
Naruto nodded, sighing. "I'm drained...Can we just go lay down and deal with this tomorrow? I can't right now."  
  
Sasuke concurred, moving to stand but stopping when he felt warmth on his wrist. He whipped around, startled.  
  
"What? Don't wanna stay here?"  
  
"No, I...I just haven't felt your touch in a while."  
  
"Then come home." Naruto said with a sleepy smile, opening his arms. He grunted when Sasuke crashed into him, smiling as they immediately found their comfortable spots. "Asshole."  
  
"Mmm..."  
  
"Go to sleep. I can't believe I actually love a guy like you."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"I don't know, actually. You're kinda an asshole, but I'm not the best either so hey, don't feel bad. I love you a lot, so... I guess that makes up for it, right?"  
  
"I guess."  
  
"See. You don't even say you love me back," Naruto joked.  
  
"Hush. I'm trying to sleep."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," the blond chuckled, kissing Sasuke's temple before closing his eyes. 'Night, Sasuke."  
  
"Night, Naruto. I love you."  
  
Naruto's heart skipped a beat, but he tried not to get too excited. There was still tomorrow to come.  
  
Tomorrow turned into a tense, silent week later.

~  
  
Naruto walked out of the large building, beaming. His face was telling, but Sasuke decided to ask anyway. “How did—“  
  
”I got the job!” Naruto grinned, nearly tripping on air from sheer excitement. He followed Sasuke in the general direction of their car. “I wish you would’ve told me this sooner though.”  
  
”I didn’t think it would be a good idea for us to work together.”  
  
”Work is work, Sasuke. If I would’ve known there was an opening in the company you worked at, I would’ve been here.”  
  
Sasuke opened the passenger door, seeing Naruto’s expression change with surprise. “I’m not letting you drive when you’re this excited. Remember last time?”  
  
”Yeah, yeah...that pole was in the way.” Naruto closed his door, buckling up. “But—tell me more about your boss please.”  
  
”Orochimaru? Isn’t being around him telling enough?”  
  
”He gives off mixed vibes. He seems nice, but kinda...”  
  
”Creepy.”  
  
”Yeah...” Naruto agreed. “Does it get better, or?”  
  
”I’m not sure, but you get used to it. The good thing is that he’s LGBT-friendly so you won’t have to worry about losing your job or anything. He’s openly non-binary himself, but he doesn’t mind male pronouns.”  
  
”Oh, okay,” Naruto nodded, feeling more comfortable. “Good.”  
  
”So where do you wanna go?”  
  
”Home, but can we pick up some food? I’m starving.”  
  
”Okay, who chooses this time?”  
  
”Uh, you, I don’t care, it doesn’t matter—wait, look! There’s a ramen shop on that corner,” Naruto cried with visible tears in his eyes. “I didn’t know Ichiraku’s Ramen was a chain!”  
  
”Well, let’s go see if it’s some good.”  
  
~  
  
”This shit is awful.”  
  
”No, it’s sooo good. It tastes just like the one down the street. Ichiraku isn’t even there, and it still tastes like him! Next time I go in ours, I’ma be like ‘wow I didn’t know you’re starting a chain, you’re really taking off Ichiraku, that’s amazing-‘“  
  
”Maybe I just don’t like ramen. Personally I think this tastes different from the one at home.”  
  
”Your tastebuds are wonky then.”  
  
Sasuke made a noise in the back of his throat before he collected his and Naruto’s trash. “Whatever.”  
  
Naruto grinned, knowing he had won this time. “So now that I got the job...”  
  
Sasuke looked up from the counter he was standing behind. “Yeah?”  
  
"We still never talked to each other. You know, about the four months of absolute hell."  
  
Naruto heard an almost inaudible sigh. "True."  
  
"I'm still not sure how this stuff works--stop standing over there, come here--but I'm going to try since I talk the most anyway. So...the four months was basically a stressful time for us, and it kinda seemed like we barely knew each other. I think the stress was fucking us up."  
  
"It makes sense," Sasuke droned, sitting on the sofa next to the blond. "But now that it's over, what do we talk about?"  
  
"I'm guessing we just talk through it. I really don't ever want to have another argument that big. We really didn't have an outlet for our tension since you were immersed in work, working overtime, and I was always sitting in the kitchen, looking for jobs and stuff. We really shouldn't shut each other out like that. It's been too long."  
  
"You're right, Naruto, but I have a hard time--"  
  
"Yeah, Sasuke, I know you literally internalize everything, which is okay. But you need to talk to me. We need to talk to each other. Even if you like text me or something, it's better than holding it in."  
  
Sasuke looked to be in a bit of thought for a moment before he nodded his approval. "Okay. I'll start trying to do that then."  
  
"We can be each other's outlets--if you want--I mean I don't want to assume, like maybe Suigetsu would be a better outlet than me--"  
  
Sasuke wrinkled his nose. "If I don't talk to my own boyfriend, what makes you think I talk to coworkers?"  
  
"You know what I meant! Maybe you should get to know him. I have Saki, maybe Suigetsu would help."  
  
"I'm okay with just you."  
  
Naruto's stomach flipped, he couldn't deny a blush and small smile. "Okay. So we'll start communicating with each other more. Even if you just want to text me and be like 'yo Orochimaru really creeping me the fuck out today, he asked me what my blood type was.' Deal?"  
  
Sasuke snorted because it sounded more plausible than Naruto could've known. "Deal."  
  
"Seal it with a kiss?"  
  
"Oh my god."  
  
"Kissssssssss--"  
  
"Fine." Sasuke kissed Naruto lightly, eyes widening when he fell off the couch. " _Naruto!_ "

**Author's Note:**

> "Then come home." Naruto said with a sleepy smile, opening his arms. He grunted when Sasuke crashed into him, smiling as they immediately found their comfortable spots.
> 
> so originlly it was gonna be "then come here," but somehow my inept fingers typed "then come home" and i kinda fw it so i kept it in there
> 
> i luv me some modern naruto/sasuke, ty for reading this mess guys <3


End file.
